Updated
Updated · KEYE TV CBS Austin · Aug 13
Texas Trooper Fatally Shoots Stolen Ambulance Suspect on I-35 as All Southbound Lanes Close
Updated
Updated · KEYE TV CBS Austin · Aug 13

Texas Trooper Fatally Shoots Stolen Ambulance Suspect on I-35 as All Southbound Lanes Close

3 articles · Updated · KEYE TV CBS Austin · Aug 13

Summary

  • A Texas DPS trooper shot and killed a suspect around 6:30 a.m. on Austin's I-35 upper deck after the driver fled a traffic stop in a stolen Fort Worth ambulance.
  • DPS said the suspect evaded troopers and intentionally rammed multiple vehicles while heading southbound from Williamson County into Austin, prompting the shooting at the scene.
  • All southbound I-35 lanes — upper and lower decks — from U.S. 183 to Airport Boulevard were closed before 8 a.m., with TxDOT warning drivers to expect major delays and avoid the area.
  • Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting, while Fort Worth Fire confirmed the ambulance was stolen from one of its stations and Austin police assisted with traffic control.

Insights

How did a suspect steal a massive ambulance overnight and turn it into a deadly weapon on a busy Texas highway?
Why do vital emergency vehicles lack remote kill switches that could instantly stop a dangerous highway pursuit before it turns fatal?